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Dear Friends,
I was recently asked to contribute to a newsletter about health and wellness and I wrote the following artlicle that I thought you might like to read.
Be well,
Catherine
What’s all the buzz about Wellness?
By Catherine Skepetaris
Have you noticed the word “wellness” everywhere lately? It’s mentioned in magazine articles, in health spas, on product labels, and in the titles of health programs. What does health and wellness really mean? Are they two different words for the same thing? In my involvement in the health sciences through out university and in my career, I have noticed a fundamental shift
in the usage and application of these two words. Traditionally, health referred to a physical situation. How the body works and the “smooth running” of its parts was the main concern. Western medical science has usually looked at people as the sum of their various parts and has dealt with the “break down” or individual symptoms as they occur and manifest themselves in illness. Eastern medical practices look at people more as a whole being without arbitrary separations and include the influence of the spirit as guidance to well-being. Today there is a blending of east and west which can create curiosity as well as confusion.
Recently, other types of health have come into our awareness: emotional health, mental (wellness vs. illness) health, spiritual/social health, and even financial health! What is health and how does it differ from wellness? Health is a state of being, a snapshot, of how things are going at any given point in time. We should not only take a physical snapshot of our current physical state but 5 different snapshots from the aforementioned perspectives! If health is a state of being, then wellness is a way of living. It is a chosen lifestyle that helps us to balance these five critical areas of our life.
Wellness is what we create when we balance our attention on these five areas utilizing the skills of time management and stress management to create a higher state of health. Health is not a desire or a wish, health is a practice. It has a knowledge base; a skill set (habits), a focus on prevention and a requirement of personal responsibility. Our daily decisions accumulate. What we do and do not do creates our lifestyle. Seventy percent of major illnesses today are a result of poor lifestyles. Even if we have a genetic condition we can choose how we will respond to it. When illness does manifest itself we can choose how we will react to the news. When my mother was diagnosed with Lou Gerrick’s disease or ALS, an atrophy of the nervous system, she quietly decided to work more on her spiritual/social and mental wellness which the disease could not touch. She made many new friends during her last three years, deepened existing relationships and her funeral was standing room only. The lasting effects of the attention she put towards this part of her life were profound and touched many people.
As we consider our own wellness and our personal responsibility to keep a healthy, balanced lifestyle, let’s become smart and engaged partners with health professionals. Spend time
to know your health status: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, waist measurement, fat percentage, resting heart rate, etc. Learn and listen to the needs of your mind, body and soul. Be honest with yourself about what you do or do not do each day and make necessary changes that will bring you a better quality of life.
Let’s learn together and support each other toward a higher level of health. Wellness is a lifestyle and health is a daily practice. Simple steps and a new perspective can make dramatic differences!
To request specific health topics for future contributions or ask questions contact Catherine at 210-766-9082 or catskep@...
Catherine Skepetaris 210-766-9082
Personal Wellness Coach
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